THE Sunshine Coast's first
mosque has had its
restrictive operating hours
as part of its development
approval lifted.
This will allow Muslims to
be able to pray five times a
day in Maroochydore instead
of between 12pm and 3pm on
Fridays.
The Sunshine Coast Council
approved the Place of
Worship development
application for the Church
Street site on June 23, but
imposed strict conditions
limiting the hours of
worship and the number of
people who could attend.
The Muslim Organisation
Sunshine Coast (MoSC) took
this to the Planning and
Environment Court in August
and now the council has
renegotiated.
"After considering its legal
advice, it became clear
there would be little
prospect of the council
successfully defending its
position in the Planning and
Environment Court and that
any such defence would
result in significant cost
to ratepayers," a council
spokesman said.
"Council has therefore
sought to negotiate a
settlement of the matter
with the applicant.
"Those negotiations have
resulted in limiting the
number of adults on buses
for school excursions;
limiting daily prayer
sessions to five and
clarifying that amplified
sound is to be consistent
with a normal speaking
voice. "
The council acknowledged the
mosque was a controversial
issue and there were a
"variety of views within the
community in relation to
this application".
"That said, the council has
equally acknowledged that
the Sunshine Coast is an
open, inclusive and
welcoming community that is
underpinned by a strong
sense of personal freedom, a
profound belief in our
democratic institutions and
the rights of individuals
and an unwavering commitment
to the rule of law -
Australian law."
MoSC President Ben Nitschke
could not be reached for
comment, but former
president and member Orhan
Dilbaz welcomed the changes.
"I can't see any reason why
the council wouldn't give us
permission to pray when we
chose to," he said.
Fresh from
Harmony Day, Crescent
Institute welcomes
Australian Race
Discrimination Commissioner
Tim Soutphommasane in
Brisbane, April 7. Along
with a night of networking,
Dr Tim will discuss the
challenges and opportunities
for Race Relations in
Australia - with Q&A from
the audience to follow.
When:
Thursday, 7 April 2016 from
6:00 PM to 9:00 PM (AEST)
The vision of
the Crescent Institute is to
be Australia's accessible
pre-eminent networking and
thought leadership group.
The Institute manages an
extensive network of thought
provoking events and
activities. It welcomes the
Race Discrimination
Commissioner in the Brisbane CBD.
Dr
Soutphommassane was born to
refugee parents fleeing Laos
for France in 1982. He was
resettled in Australia
through a government
initiative.
Graduating with First Class
Honours in Sydney, Dr Tim
completed his Master’s
degree and PhD in Philosophy
and Political Theory at
Oxford University.
He was appointed Race
Discrimination Commissioner
in 2013, and argues that
calls to repeal Section 18C
of the Racial Discrimination
Act are ill-founded and
ill-informed.
The offensive banner appeared
prominently at the MCG.
Collingwood’s last-gasp win
over Richmond on Friday
night was overshadowed by an
offensive anti-Muslim banner
unfurled at the MCG.
A photo of the banner –
which bore the acronym UPF,
for United Patriots Front –
read “Go Pies, Stop the
Mosques” and was displayed
under the scoreboard during
the match’s second quarter.
The picture (as seen above)
was widely circulated on
social media on Friday
evening.
MCG officials said the
banner was removed and that
those holding it were
ejected from the venue.
The patrons were removed
“for displaying material
that was deemed to be racist
and offensive to others,”
the ground said.
It is unclear how many
people were thrown out in
connection with the banner,
or how long it was on
display for.
Collingwood president Eddie
McGuire told The Age that
those who unfurled the
banner should be banned from
football for life.
He added that the message
sent was “disgraceful”, but
they were not necessarily
Collingwood fans.
The AFL reaction
The AFL condemned the
incident in a short
statement, released on
Friday evening.
“The AFL is aware that an
offensive banner was
displayed at the MCG during
tonight’s rd2 game between
Richmond and Collingwood,”
it read.
“Match day security removed
the banner when they became
aware of it and evicted the
patrons responsible.
“The AFL condemns the
behaviour in the strongest
terms and such actions have
no place in society, and not
in our game.”
Mosque tour and
explanations/illustration of
ablutions and prayers – Imam
Abdul Kader
Activities – International
food, information booth,
jumping castle, women
decoration, police demo,
formal presentation, mosque
tour, community engagement.
As you would be aware AFIC
had instituted proceedings
against Ikebal Patel for the
recovery of funds. You may
also be aware that the two
main witnesses in the case
against Patel were Amjad
Mehboob and Agim Garana.
Since November last year,
AFIC has been embroiled in
litigation with Mr Garana
and now Mr Mehboob. This has
left AFIC in the invidious
position of having to give
serious consideration to the
fact that Mr Garana and Mr
Mehboob will no longer be
willing witnesses in the
case for AFIC against Mr
Patel. As they were the two
main witnesses, this will of
course make the case against
Mr Patel untenable.
Accordingly, the AFIC Board
has decided to discontinue
proceedings.
We must however stress that
it should be known to all
that AFIC will always be
determined to use its best
endeavours to pursue its
rights in legal proceedings
against any parties who may
seek to cause damage to AFIC.
An idea to empower all
children whose first
language is not English, got
the thumbs up from about 100
school children last week at
a forum on inclusivity.
The interview includes Rabbi
Zalman Kastel from the
Together for Humanity
Foundation, various students
and Jihad Dib MP at NSW
Parliament
Aima Sadiq-Ali, Walija
Iqbalali and Nadia Aliahmed were
attacked in a park in Norlane
MELBOURNE: Three young girls
have been vilified in a
horrifying attack by a gang
of youths in a suburban
park.
The girls were punched and
had their headdresses
forcibly removed in the
attack, which was carried
out by about 10 youths, some
thought to be as young as
seven.
Police said the girls, aged
15, 12 and 11, were at a
park in the Geelong suburb
of Norlane about 5.30pm on
March 23 when they were
approached by the gang.
The youths began to punch
the girls, and stole and
smashed their mobile phones
when they tried to call
police.
They racially vilified the
girls, removed their
headdresses, and threw rocks
at them before leaving the
Sparks Road Reserve.
Ten-year-old Aima Sadiq-Ali
told 7 News that she and her
mother had been left scared
by the attack.
"They hit us and their mum
was saying rude words to us;
'go back to your country, go
back to your country," she
said.
"I couldn't even control
myself because I was really
upset," another victim,
Nadia Aliahmed, 15, told 7
News.
Acting Senior Sergeant
Jonathan Parish said it was
a sickening attack.
"They're young girls - they
should be able to go to a
local park and enjoy their
time in the community
without being subject to
this kind of behaviour," he
said.
Aima and Nadia were wearing
chadors, which is a large
piece of cloth worn by some
Muslim women, wrapped around
the body to leave only the
face exposed.
Police believe a woman was
with the group of youths at
the time of the incident.
Senior Sergeant Parish said
all three girls suffered
minor injuries and were left
shaken by the attack.
"The seriousness of what has
occurred relates to the
vilification and the racial
motivation of the attack,"
he said.
Kuranda Seyit, secretary of
the Islamic Council of
Victoria, said the attack
was a disturbing but
isolated incident.
"It's concerning that these
types of incidents still
occur but I think that by
and large the majority of
Australians and Victorians
are equally as appalled as
we are," Mr Seyit said.
"These are young people that
are misinformed and have the
wrong perception of Muslims
and the wrong ideas and have
unfairly targeted these
young girls."
Mr Seyit said he would like
to see Australians work
together to stamp out racist
vilification, which affected
people from many different
faiths and backgrounds, and
support the victims of the
Norlane attack.
"They should not feel like
this is in any way their
fault and should be proud of
their identity and continue
to wear the clothes that
they want to wear," he said.
The B'nai B'rith
Anti-Defamation Commission,
a Jewish anti-bigotry group,
said all Australians should
be able to go out in public
without fear of being
targeted for abuse because
of their religion or
background.
"We must never allow such
intolerance to find a home
in Australia," ADC chairman
Dvir Abramovich said.
Anyone with information can
call Crime Stoppers on 1800
333 000.
On Monday the 21st of March,
A.I.I.C. celebrated Harmony
Day and took part in the
National Day of Action
Against Bullying for the
second year running. The
School Captains gave a
speech about the importance
of harmony and the strong
stance we are taking against
bullying at our school. This
was followed by role plays
and videos enacting
anti-bullying strategies by
the primary and secondary
student council.
The A.I.I.C nasheed group
also performed two songs on
stage, including the nasheed
‘Rasoolullah’ and the
uplifting ‘Orange Ribbon
Song’ which had all students
joining in. The assembly was
followed by class visits to
country displays in the
hall.
Each year level had taken
responsibility for preparing
a stall on a country which
participates in the Olympic
games. Teachers and students
had tremendous fun visiting
the Harmony Day stalls and
doing the activities
prepared, including face
painting, flag colouring,
henna design, writing their
name using Japanese letters
and tasting food from
different cultures.
The day was topped off by
afternoon cultural and
Olympic sporting activities
with country versing
country. Students went home
with a smile on their face
and stronger team spirit in
their hearts.
A wannabe Queensland
politician, hell-bent on
stopping all things Islamic
"invading" one of
Australia's popular tourist
meccas, is ramping up his
campaign ahead of the 2018
Commonwealth Games.
John Abbott, a candidate who
lost by a mile in last
week's Gold Coast mayoral
race, has been exposed by A
Current Affair as a
troublemaker in the past.
Fifteen years ago, Mr Abbott
made his first appearance on
the show as the former
leader of male vigilante
clan, 'the Blackshirts'.
Parading around Melbourne
with a gang of men in black
masks, Mr Abbott was
eventually arrested for
terrorising women – which in
2002, he claimed was a
result of "shame campaigns"
waged by the group to expose
morally corrupted women.
But now, in addition to his
men's rights activism, Mr
Abbott has turned his
attention to what he
believes is the greatest
challenge currently facing
Australia.
"This nation is not big
enough," Mr Abbott told A
Current Affair. "Nor is the
world, in my view, that will
house Christianity and
Islam."
"We need to remind them that
we welcome them. As
Christians."
"Eventually there's going to
be a reckoning, as I see it.
Eventually it's going to be
us or them."
With more than 500,000
Muslims a year flying in
from overseas, the Gold
Coast has been booming by
consciously catering to
their religious needs.
Popular theme parks are
Muslim-friendly, most
restaurants offer Halal menu
choices and prayer rooms are
conveniently located right
across the coast.
But, unsurprisingly, Mr
Abbott opposes it all.
"I am guided by the values
and principles of
Christianity. They are
gentle, they're tolerant,
they allow people to be
themselves, they allow all
of us to think and grow as
we please," Mr Abbott said.
"It doesn't come along and
dictate any terms."
"I think Islam or the people
of Islam need to realise
they are guests in our
home," Mr Abbott said.
However, Mr Abbott's public
voicing of his views have
not come without their
critics - including Gold
Coast mayor Tom Tate, who
was re-elected by a wide
margin.
Mayor Tate is determined for
Australia and the rest of
the world to know that his
former opponent's radical
anti-Islam views are not
expressed by the rest of the
Gold Coast.
As does Gold Coast Islamic
leader, Imam Imran Hosein,
who finds Mr Abbott's views
even more ludicrous ahead of
the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
"How are we going to ban
Muslims from the
Commonwealth Games? Half the
countries are Muslim," Imam
Hosein said.
Imam Hosein has extended an
olive branch to Mr Abbott,
offering to help educate him
on Islam. However, given his
strongly-held views it is
doubtful the anti-Islam
crusader would accept.
"Come out to the mosque, we
invite him here. Nothing to
be scared of. Have a halal
meal," Imam Hosein said.
Human Appeal International
Australia hosted its 9th
Annual Year 12 Muslim
Achievement Awards in
Sydney, Melbourne and
Adelaide between and 19th
and the 20th of this month.
Students who achieved an
ATAR score of 90% or above
in 2015 were encouraged to
register for the awards.
Various respected members of
the community, leaders,
politicians and businesses
attended ceremonies in the
three cities, acknowledging
the amazing efforts of these
high achieving students. A
total of one hundred and
thirty-five students,
twenty-nine more than last
year, were honoured for
their hard work and rewarded
with a certificate of
recognition, a
tablet-notebook and various
other prizes.
Mashaal Hamayun, ATAR of
99.8.
The ceremony in Sydney
acknowledged a total of
sixty-seven students, with
Omar Al-Jamal as the master
of ceremonies on the night.
Attendees included NSW
Shadow Minister for
Education Jihad Dib MP,
Shadow Minister for
Multiculturalism Sophie Cotsis MLC, Deputy Mayor of
Canterbury Councillor Khodr
Saleh, and other
distinguished guests. The
Grand Mufti of Australia, Dr
Ibrahim Abu Mohammed and NSW
Minister for Education,
Adrian Piccoli MP both
extended their apologies.
The night opened with a
Quranic recitation by award
recipient, Riad Naanai,
followed by the translation
read out by another
recipient Aishah Ali. Human
Appeal’s director, Bashar
Al-Jamal welcomed guests and
explained why investing in
education is an important
strategy to enhancing the
sustainability and growth of
communities. Various
speeches were given by Jihad
Dib MP, Sophie Cotsis MLC,
Dr Zachariah Matthews from
Deen Academy, Mona
Abdel-Fattah from the
Australian International
Academy and Dr Belal Aly, a
sponsor from Berala Dental
Clinic. The Sounds of Light
2016 Talent Quest winner,
11-year-old Jamal El-Sankari,
performed a nasheed at the
award ceremony. He sang a
song with an immense joy and
passion and stole the hearts
of the audience.
Muslim Achievement Awards
event in Sydney, hosted by Human
Appeal International Australia
Visiting scholar Dr Abdullah
Aljohani from Madinah
University also conveyed his
congratulations and well
wishes to the students and
their families. Students
were presented their
certificates and gifts by
local sponsors. Award
recipients Mashaal Hamayun
and Omar Elrich both spoke
passionately about their
achievements and the
dedicated focus that it
required. Muhammad Elhajje,
a current student at the
University of Sydney spoke
movingly about his
participation in Human
Appeal’s 2016 Aspiring
Leaders Umrah Tour which
included helping to
distribute much needed aid
to Syrian refugees in
Jordan. Overall, the night
was a fantastic opportunity
for parents and the
community to celebrate with
joy in the proud
achievements of these
students.
In Melbourne, the event
acknowledged sixty-one
students. The ceremony was MC’d by Noor Abou-Zeid and
opened with Quranic
recitation by Abdul Rahman
Malas. In attendance were
federal member for Wills
Kelvin Thomson MP, Moreland
Mayor Samantha Ratnam, Labor
candidate Peter Khalil and
other dignitaries. Sheikh
Rabih Baytie, Human Appeal’s
Melbourne branch manager
welcomed guests and spoke
about the importance of
education and giving back to
the community. Other
speakers included Dr Aladin
Zayegh from MCCA, Bayram
Aktepe from the Islamic
Council of Victoria and Umar
Batchelor from BAILP. A
number of videos were shown
including one which featured
AFL footballer Bachar Houli
and his role in inspiring
and motivating students.
Students were similarly
awarded their certificates
and gifts by local sponsors.
Award recipients Alisha
Rawal and Yusuf Hassan both
delivered eloquent speeches
about achievement and the
importance of continuing
education life-long.
The Adelaide event, hosted by
Human Appeal International
Australia.
In Adelaide, seven students
were likewise awarded
certificates and gifts
sponsored by local sponsors.
Branch manager of Human
Appeal’s Adelaide office,
Ali Kadir MC’d the event.
The ceremony was opened with
the recitation of the Quran
by university student and
Umrah participant, Abdul
Salam Hamid. Annabel Digance,
representing the Premier of
South Australia Jay
Weatherill spoke on the
night as well as Imam Ensar
Cutahija from the Adelaide
City Mosque. Sounds of Light
Adelaide 2015 nasheed artist
Izzat Mehedi sang a song
which he wrote specifically
for the event. Abdel Rahman
Bassal, senior manager with
SA Digital Telehealth
Network spoke about the
importance of coupling
religious knowledge with
academic knowledge in order
to help change the world for
the better. Shihab Siddiquee,
founder of Sace Simplified,
spoke and encouraged the
schools and students present
to get behind his program
which helps students through
the confusion and prepares
them for life after year 12.
University of South
Australia student, Abdul
Salam Hamid reflected on his
participation of the 2016
Aspiring Leaders Umrah Tour.
While Muslim women are as
religious as Muslim men,
Christian women are even
more religious than their
male peers, according to a
new study by Pew Research
Center, in Washington, DC.
Overall, women are more
religious than men by
several standard measures of
what it means to be a
religious person, says the
study, but the relationship
between religion and gender
is more complex than
commonly assumed.
The study took data from six
different groups
(Christians, Muslims,
Buddhists, Hindus, Jews and
the religiously
unaffiliated). Data on
affiliation in 192 countries
were collected from
censuses, demographic
surveys and general
population surveys as part
of the Center’s multiyear
study projecting the size
and geographic distribution
of the world’s major
religious groups from 2010
to 2050.
While women generally are
more devout, the report
finds men display higher
levels of religious
commitment in some countries
and religious groups. In
other contexts, there are
few, if any, discernible
gender differences on
religious measures.
Measuring levels of
religious commitment in
widely differing societies
and faiths is a tricky
endeavour. Rather than use a
single indicator, the new
report looks at a variety of
measures, including
religious affiliation,
frequency of worship service
attendance, frequency of
prayer and whether religion
plays an important role in a
person’s life.
On all the standard measures
of religious commitment
examined in the study,
Christian women are more
religious than Christian
men. By contrast, Muslim
women and Muslim men show
similar levels of
religiousness on all
measures of commitment
except frequency of
attendance at worship
services. Because of
religious norms, Muslim men
attend services at a mosque
much more often than Muslim
women do.
As part of ‘Pop Islam’, the
dedicated film program
running in conjunction with
‘The 8th Asia Pacific
Triennial of Contemporary
Art’, the Gallery is hosting
two special film screenings,
both Australian Premieres –
Muhammad: The Messenger
of God
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE | Friday
8 April 2016 | Australian
Cinémathèque, GOMA | FREE
Majid Majidi’s Muhammad:
The Messenger of God
2015 is a lavish retelling
of the Prophet’s life, from
his birth to early
adolescence before the
founding of Islam. Drawing
inspiration from the
Hollywood biblical epics of
the 1950s and 1960s, the
film uses episodic
flashbacks of poignant and
spiritual moments with
dramatic sequences and
legendary battles. The first
in a trilogy, this big
budget Iranian film was shot
on a set recreating the
sixth century near the
Iranian city of Qom by
veteran cinematographer
Vittorio Storaro and
features a soundtrack by
renowned Indian composer A R
Rahman.
Muhammad: The Messenger
of God is one of only a
handful of films to honour
the Prophet’s life, an
absence due to the
contentious issue of how he
might be physically
represented on screen.
Majidi consulted with
numerous theologians from
all areas of the Muslim
faith before making the
film, settling on a
customised camera system
that shows the story
unfolding from the visual
perspective of young
Muhammad. While the film is
still not without its
controversies, its sincere
desire to share Islamic
teachings and values are
timely in the current
landscape of global
misinformation and unrest.
Muhammad: The Messenger
of God is the most
expensive movie made in Iran
and has been chosen by the
country to be put forward
for the 2016 Academy Awards.
Wael Shawky: Cabaret
Crusades
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE | Sunday
10 April 2016 |Australian
Cinémathèque, GOMA | FREE
Egyptian artist Wael Shawky
is acclaimed internationally
for his films and
installations exploring
political, religious and
historical narratives. Over
the past six years, Shawky
has been developing Cabaret
Crusades 2010-15, a
monumental project inspired
by French-Lebanese author
Amin Maalouf’s seminal 1983
text ‘Les croisades vues par
les arabes (The Crusades
through Arab Eyes)’.
Using exquisitely-made wood,
ceramic and glass
marionettes, Shawky’s
trilogy re-enacts events
from the Crusades of the
Middle Ages, beginning with
attempts to establish
Christian rule throughout
the Holy Land in 1095 and
ending with the destruction
of Constantinople by
Venetian Crusaders in 1204.
The resulting trilogy is a
work of major significance,
deftly blending film and
theatre, literature and
music that open up an
important lens on the
complex political landscape
of the Middle East today.
Special three part
screening for the Australian
Premiere:
Cabaret Crusades: The
Horror Show File 2010
1.00pm, Sunday 10 April 2016
(32mins)
Cabaret Crusades: The
Path to Cairo 2012
1.45pm, Sunday 10 April 2016
(58mins)
Cabaret Crusades: The
Secrets of Karbalaa 2015
3.00pm, Sunday 10 April 2016
(120mins)
Yasir Qadhi is
an American
Muslim scholar
and writer of
Pakistani
descent, and
Dean of Academic
Affairs at the
Al-Maghrib
Institute, an
Islamic
educational
institution. He
has written
books and has
lectured on
Islam and
contemporary
Muslim issues.
Sheikh Dr
Yasir Qadhi on
South African
Muslims
WOMEN IN ISLAM:
What do You see?
By Shifa L
Mustapha Written
for website
“What do you see
– Islam”
A Muslim woman
has just come
into view. You
look at her. You
see that she is
young; that she
wears the
traditional
“hejab” or
cover. All you
can see of her
is her face and
hands as she
pushes a pram in
which sits a
small child
smiling up at
you. Her face is
pleasant and you
wonder about the
lifestyle of
this young woman
and why she
appears to be so
serene in view
of the fact that
the voices of
those around you
are speaking
scathingly of
her in tones
which surely she
must hear.
You find
yourself
contemplating
this strange
situation. What
is it about
Islam that
causes these
women to live so
contrary to
modern Western
fashion? Are
they being
forced into this
situation by
their fathers or
husbands? You
think about the
woman you have
just seen and
somehow you know
in your heart
that this is not
so – not in this
case at least.
It is apparent
by her demeanour
that she is
confident and at
peace within
herself.
Your questions
have often been
echoed by others
and you realize
that the subject
of women in
Islam has, over
the years, been
a hot topic of
conversation for
both men and
women who are
not, themselves,
Muslim. The
words,
“oppressed”,
“degraded”,
“mere chattels”
are some which
spring to the
minds of many
who have been
steadily fed
negative morsels
of information
from
anti-Islamic
sources. What is
the truth of the
matter? We
invite you to
look and
evaluate for
yourself. It is
only when all
facts of the
matter are fully
revealed to you
that it will be
possible for you
to make an
informed
judgement.
Khaled Al-Asad
from Call of
Duty 4: Modern
Warfare
Shooting the
Arabs: How video
games perpetuate
Muslim
stereotypes
"Muslim blood is
the cheapest in
the world."
Islam has an
image problem.
And it's not
just recent
world events
that have led to
an undue level
of scrutiny and
prejudice. The
media has been
pigeonholing
Muslims for
years. You need
only watch a few
episodes of 24
or Homeland
to see that
Muslims,
particularly
those of Arab
descent, are
almost always
painted as the
enemy.
"The current
political and
cultural climate
is the reason in
media we are the
bad guys right
now," said Rami
Ismail, a
co-founder of
Vlambeer, an
independent game
studio based in
the Netherlands.
The same broad
brush, he says,
applies to video
games too. The
Call of Duty
franchise, for
example, is rife
with Muslim
villains -- like
Khaled Al-Asad
in Modern
Warfare. "That's
Call of Duty,
over and over.
Shoot all the
Arabs," said
Ismail. "Muslim
blood is the
cheapest in the
world."
Ismail spoke
last week on a
panel at the
annual
Game Developers
Conference
about Muslim
representation
in video games.
The
presentation's
tone was a
sombre one. "The
current election
has been fueled
by certain
prejudices,"
said Imad Khan,
a freelance
journalist for
the Daily Dot
who moderated
the panel.
"There have been
some latent
animosity that
has erupted in
the past year
leading to
untoward
criticism and
actual
violence."
"We are often
just reduced to
four or five
stereotypes,"
said Dr. Romana
Ramzan, a game
design lecturer
at Glasgow
Caledonian
University in
the UK. "It's
usually summed
up by the
clothes we wear.
So if you're a
woman, you wear
a hijab [...] If
you're a man,
you have a beard
or wear your
national dress."
She added that
Muslims are also
often portrayed
as aggressive
and violent. "In
games, we will
be represented
as the 'other'
people who are
the ones you
have to kill.
Usually it's a
slightly
dark-skinned
character
shouting
Allahu Akbar,
carrying an
AK-47. Or he has
a camel or a
goat."
When asked about
the appearance
of seemingly
Muslim
characters in
fighting games
like Zafina from
Tekken 6,
Ramzan said that
her real issue
is that a Muslim
doesn't look
like any one
particular
person. Muslims
are not
necessarily
Arab, and Arabs
are not
necessarily
Muslim.
"Why do we need
to be
represented by
our faith?" she
asks. "Why can't
we be
represented by
our
nationalities?
Why can't it be
what might a
female from
Pakistan look
like, or from
Lebanon, or
Tunisia? We are
all so diverse.
No one's really
sitting around
thinking what
does a Christian
character look
like." She gave
an example of
when she visited
Morocco, and she
saw women who
were fully
clothed from
head to toe, and
she also saw
women who wore
backless dresses
and miniskirts.
"It doesn't make
them
non-Muslims.
It's just the
way they are."
"Muslim is not a
people," Ismail
said. "It's 1.6
billion people
across the world
with various
nationalities,
backgrounds,
languages. Not
all Muslims
speak Arabic."
For example,
Ismail said, the
world's largest
Muslim nation is
Indonesia, which
is not anywhere
near the Middle
East. "People
just don't
realize that."
It's not just
the portrayal of
Muslims that is
problematic. In
several video
games, images of
the Arab and
Muslim world are
often
inaccurate. The
above screenshot
of Karachi
in Call of
Duty: Modern
Warfare 2,
for example, has
Arabic written
over it. But
Arabic isn't
spoken in
Pakistan, which
is where Karachi
is located. In
fact, Pakistanis
speak mostly in
English and
Urdu. Farah
Khalaf, a
Palestinian-Iraqi
game developer
from New
Zealand, said
that she often
wishes games
would depict
Middle Eastern
cities as they
really are,
instead of sandy
deserts. "If you
show people an
image of Beirut,
they'll be
surprised that
it's modern!"
Still, video
game portrayals
of Muslims
aren't all bad.
Khan says
Ubisoft did a
good job with
Assassin's Creed's
Altair
character. "It's
this story of
this orphan, who
grew up in the
Assassin Order.
I thought it was
really well
done." It also
portrayed
Istanbul as a
vibrant,
gleaming city
and featured a
couple of
historical
characters like
Suleiman the
Magnificent and
Selim II from
the Ottoman
Empire. Even
Assassin's Creed
wasn't
completely free
from error,
however. Ismail
pointed out it
was odd to find
out that
Altair's father
had the same
last name (Ibn-La'Ahad)
as him, since
having the same
name as your
parents goes
against Arabic
naming
conventions.
Khan thought
that was
surprising,
considering
everything else
in the game was
well researched.
Another example
of a positive
portrayal of a
Muslim character
is Faridah Malik
in Deus Ex:
Human Revolution.
She's a chief
helicopter pilot
described as a
third-generation
American born in
Dearborn,
Michigan, who's
also a faithful
practicing
Muslim. Ismail
does think she
fits the
stereotype of
the "Good
Muslim" -- oh,
she's
Westernized and
therefore she
must be good --
but likes the
character
nonetheless.
Khan also
singled out
upcoming titles
like The Sun
Also Rises
(about civilians
caught in the
Afghan war),
Dujanah (the
story of a girl
living in a
Muslim country)
and Saudi
Girls Revolution
(where the main
characters are
female
motorcycle
heroes who drive
across
post-apocalyptic
Saudi Arabia)
that show a
different side
of the Muslim
world. The last
in particular is
a game developed
by a Saudi
prince, which
Ismail said
could inspire
change.
"The industry
just needs
greater
diversity," said
Rahman. "We're
not going to be
telling
interesting
narratives
without it."
Ismail agrees.
"Diversity is
number one. If
you're going to
make a game
about a country,
talk to somebody
from that
country. If
you're going to
have a foreign
language, have
someone who can
read it. If
you're going to
have a religion
in the game, get
someone who
understands it."
"These are very
simple things,"
he said. "Just
be a human
being."
Engadget
Why Muslims
Should Never
Have To
Apologize for
Terrorism
Picture this:
You wake up in
the morning to
hear your wife
screaming at you
because it’s
pouring rain
outside. She
hates the rain
and now her day
is ruined
because of you.
You go
downstairs only
to hear your
children yell at
you because they
broke the
toaster. They
can’t have
waffles now and
it’s all your
fault. On the
way to work, you
stop and fill up
gas only to hear
everyone at the
gas station
curse you out
because gas
prices have
risen. You
arrive at work
only to see all
your coworkers
gathered around
your desk
demanding that
you apologize
for the printer
being jammed. On
the way home
from work,
everyone on the
highway screams
at you because
they are upset
with the rush
hour traffic.
Quite a
ridiculous
scenario, right?
Can you imagine
always being
blamed for
things that you
have absolutely
no control over?
Can you imagine
always being
asked to
apologize for
these things?
Can you imagine
being hated
whether or not
you do
apologize? This
is what being a
Muslim in
America today
feels like.
I am a proud
American, raised
in Texas. I’m a
college student.
I’m a
humanitarian.
I’m an aspiring
physician. I’m
someone who
hopes to
revolutionize
access to
medicine and
healthcare in
the United
States and in
war-torn
countries across
the world. I
also am a
M-u-s-l-i-m, one
of over 1.6
billion who are
blamed whenever
an act of
terrorism occurs
as if we are
nothing more
than this
6-letter word
hijacked by
those who
wrongly use our
religion to
justify their
heinous crimes.
As a Muslim
American who
continually
strives to do
everything I can
for the
betterment of my
community and
this nation, I
am tired of
being asked to
apologize and
condemn
terrorism that I
have absolutely
nothing to do
with.
Here Are Five
Reasons Why
Muslims Should
Never Have To
Apologize for
Terrorism:
Huffington Post
Dr. Elham Manea
has dual
nationalities,
Yemeni and
Swiss. Besides
her engagement
as an associate
professor at the
University of
Zurich
specialised on
the Middle East,
she is also a
writer, and a
human rights
activist. She
propagates the
concept of a
humanistic
Islam.
Time to Face
the ISIS Inside
of Us
“We are ISIS.”
A startling
statement? Yet
this was the
title of an
article written
by former
Kuwaiti Minister
of Information,
Saad bin Tafla
al Ajami,
published in 7
August 2014 by
the Qatari
newspaper al
Sharq. He was
not celebrating
the Islamic
state of Iraq
and the Levant
(ISIS), nor the
atrocities it is
committing
against
civilians and
minorities in
Iraq and Syria.
He was reminding
us that ISIS,
while condemned
by the majority
of Muslims, is a
product of an
Islamic
religious
discourse that
dominated our
public sphere in
the last decades
— a mainstream
discourse!
ISIS “did not
come from
another planet,”
he said. “It is
not a product of
the infidel West
or a bygone
orient,” he
insisted.
No, “the truth
that we can not
deny is: ISIS
learned from our
schools, prayed
in our mosques,
listened to our
media... and our
religious
platforms, read
from our books
and references,
and followed
Fatwas
(religious
edicts) we
produced.”
The nikah of Farhad,son of
Mr & Mrs Mohammed Yusuf,
and Natasha,
daughter of Mr & Mrs
Mahbub Ali,was performed
by Imam Abu Gazaleh on
Sunday 19 March 2016 at
Rochdale Mosque.
The
nikah of Farzana,
daughter of Mr Faisal and
Mrs Julie Hatia, and
Ali Abu Hussein, son of
Ms Reem Masoud, was
performed by Imam Yusuf Peer
on Sunday 27 March 2016 at
Rochedale Mosque.
New
Migrants
Condolences
Dr
Maqsud ul Hasan passed away
in a car accident in
Pakistan. May Almighty Allah
grant him Maghfirah and the
highest place in Jannah. May
Allah Ta'ala grant his
family Sabrun Jameel. His
lost has left the Muslim
Gold Coast community shaken
as he was a great asset to
us all. (Imam Imran Husain
of the Gold Coast Mosque)
If you
would like to record a
birth, marriage, engagement
or someone's passing please
email
ccn@crescentsofbrisbane.org
with the details.
This is a conversation we
have been planning to share
with our readers for a
while, but we needed to find
the best person to have it
with. Given that it is an
election year in the US, and
there is so much heightened
fear around the world
because of the rising power
of ISIS in Syria and
neighbouring countries, the
influx of Syrian refugees
into Europe, and the staunch
anti-immigrant rhetoric
coming from certain
conservative politicians
(most notably Donald Trump
who wants to ban all Muslims
from entering the United
States), we recognize what a
delicate and complex
situation it can be.
Within this framework, given
that we are a site focused
on women’s voices and issues
presented in an empowering
way, we wanted to find a way
to discuss being a Muslim
woman in today’s world with
a woman who can speak from
an intelligent,
compassionate and compelling
perspective.
That woman, is Dr. Nora
Amath. Based in Brisbane,
Australia, Nora is part of a
couple of Muslim
organizations which seek to
engage the community around
them in dialog about the
faith, championing the cause
of human rights, and change
the damaging narrative often
seek in mainstream media
about Muslims and Islam. She
is also a mother, a speaker,
and a woman who has lived in
many different cultures and
countries. Our conversation
with Nora was so awesome we
decided to present it in 2
parts.
Norah talked about feminism,
her advice on having a
meaningful interfaith dialog
(and when to walk away!),
and her experience being a
Muslim in the wake of
terrorist attacks around the
world. It wasn’t a
conversation about politics,
it was about fostering
understanding. In part 1
Nora talks about her
upbringing, living through
the aftermath of the
September 11 terrorist
attacks as a Muslim woman,
and the most incredible
aspect of her work –
partnering up with a male
Christian author to talk
about their faith in their
community!
Mujeeb reluctantly welcomes
Steve back onto the show. In an
effort of good will he
"patronizes" Steve with a gift.
As usual Steve's one-up-man-ship
tries to teach Mujeeb about
something he should already
know. The two celebrate their
friendship with yummy Pakistani
sweets - sticky sweets that is!
In the
first part, Dr. Jasser Auda
raised the question about where
women prayer area should be
located within the mosque and
whether segregating women from
men in mosques is acceptable. He
listed 5 disadvantages of this
practice and showed how the
design of the Prophet’s Mosque
was open for both males and
females. In this article, an
important advantage of such an
open design is discussed.
Women
Learnt from Imam directly
As women had their share in
the Prophet’s Mosque, they
were able to see him as he
preached. That is
scientifically proven to
help in maintaining
attentiveness and proper
communication. Some women
used to directly learn the
Quran from the recitation of
the Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him).
.......
Hence, there is no need to
isolate women within walls
or curtains or to prevent
them from sighting the Imam.
It is proven that women used
to see the Prophet (peace
and blessings be upon him)
in the Mosque, and that it
had a positive impact on
their acquisition of
knowledge. They also
benefited from, and were
even quite careful to
observe, attendance at the
Mosque.
Drawing lines on the ground
or using low barriers may be
sufficient for organizing
the areas of prayer for men
and women to avoid any
undesired dispute or
crowding.
About Islam
NEXT WEEK:
PART 3
About Dr. Jasser Auda Jasser
Auda is a Professor and Al-Shatibi
Chair of Maqasid Studies at
the International Peace
College South Africa, the
Executive Director of the
Maqasid Institute, a global
think tank based in London,
and a Visiting Professor of
Islamic Law at Carleton
University in Canada. He is
a Founding and Board Member
of the International Union
of Muslim Scholars, Member
of the European Council for
Fatwa and Research, Fellow
of the Islamic Fiqh Academy
of India, and General
Secretary of Yaqazat Feker,
a popular youth organization
in Egypt. He has a PhD in
the philosophy of Islamic
law from University of Wales
in the UK, and a PhD in
systems analysis from
University of Waterloo in
Canada. Early in his life,
he memorized the Quran and
studied Fiqh, Usul and
Hadith in the halaqas of Al-Azhar
Mosque in Cairo. He
previously worked as:
Founding Director of the
Maqasid Center in the
Philosophy of Islamic Law in
London; Founding Deputy
Director of the Center for
Islamic Ethics in Doha;
professor at the University
of Waterloo in Canada,
Alexandria University in
Egypt, Islamic University of
Novi Pazar in Sanjaq, Qatar
Faculty of Islamic Studies,
and the American University
of Sharjah. He lectured and
trained on Islam, its law,
spirituality and ethics in
dozens of other universities
and organizations around the
world. He wrote 25 books in
Arabic and English, some of
which were translated to 25
languages.
Chereen's interview with
Dr. Samir Iqbal, the
Pakistani-American scientist
who developed a device to
diagnose cancer rapidly.
Iqbal worked on the project
with Young-tae Kim, a UTA
associate professor in the
Bioengineering Department;
Muhymin Islam, a STEM
doctoral candidate; and
engineering students
Muhammad Motasim Bellah,
Adeel Sajid and Muhammad
Raziul Hasan.
Chereen: From
speaking to you, I can tell
that you really do apply a
lot of effort and that is
something that is very
important to you. Can you
tell me more about that?
Dr. Iqbal: This is
also fard (obligation). It
is very important to utilize
what we have been given. We
are given a rizq, and then
we are told to use our rizq
in a certain fashion. This
is how we have to use it, as
a source of help. When Allah
subḥānahu wa ta'āla
(glorified and exalted be
He) says, “Wa mimma
razaqnahom yunifiqun.” I
give you rizq and you have
to do yunfiqun out of it.
Why shouldn't we be using
that rizq to do what we are
supposed to do? Our goal
should be to use this rizq
as a source of benefit and
relief.
Chereen: Can you tell
me about the process of your
innovative work? What
started this development?
Dr. Iqbal: It has
been a work of 4 to 5 years.
It has been the work of
many, many good hardworking
students. The rate it has
evolved, and I will tell you
that it has evolved because
we did not just hit it. It
starts with living things,
and in living things there
are organs. There are layers
of tissue that support those
organs. Some of the organs
that get cancer, some of the
cells break apart, and pass
through those membranes or
supporting tissue and get
into the bloodstream. This
is how metastasis occurs.
There is something
interesting called the
basement membrane. When you
imagine it, it looks like
the carpet you see in your
offices. If you rub your
hand, you see it is rough
and has smalls ups and downs
in it. Take it down to
nanometer scale texture. We
have to be careful taking
this big jump from
millimeter to nanometer,
because millimeter is
thousandth part of a meter,
centimeter is hundredth part
of a meter. One micrometer
is millionth part of a
meter. To appreciate how
small a micrometer is, over
here is 50 to 100
micrometer. Nanometer is
1,000 times smaller than one
micrometer. This is the kind
of scale we are talking
about that Allah Subhana Wa
Ta'ala has created in our
tissues. This is the
supporting network. Every
organ has its own types of
cells. I do not even know if
I can get to this depth in
my lifetime. I am focusing
on the basement membrane
which supports this organ.
Basement membrane has nano-texture
to it, and it is known to be
a very strong membrane. Of
course it has to support all
the organs in place.
Allah [ swt] has put all of
these things in us with very
fine delicacy and it is
under pressure, but it is
maintained and ordered in
its place. The basement
membrane shows that all
these things stay in their
place. The cancer cells want
to go to another place and
they want to make another
colony, while killing that
organism. Some of these
cells break apart and get
into blood streams. Most of
them get cleared up by our
immune system. When there
are too many of them, some
of them survive and find
another distant organ.
Again, they do their process
by going through the tissue
across the basement organ
and get back to the support
organ, what we call
metastasis. Finding
metastasis before it occurs
saves lives. 90% of breast
cancer deaths are actually
through metastatic tumor.
This basement membrane and
narrow texture, we recreated
these conditions on a chip
using nanotextured walls. We
then saw that the metastatic
tumor cells were showing
distinctly different
behaviour than
non-metastatic tumor cells.
So if I get a biopsy sample
from a patient and I don't
know how much metastatic
potential is there in that
sample, this system can tell
me that as well. Just
looking at that sample, an
oncologist can look at that
tumor and tell if it has
spread, or if there might be
a secondary tumor growing
separately. This changes the
whole approach of what
therapy is to be given. It
is early detection, it is
precise. Hopefully, the way
we are doing it and the way
we have done it will make it
very affordable. The goal is
to deploy it as an annual
physical tool and a
screening tool is the goal.
The foundation of al-Mansur’s
‘Round City’ in 762 was a
glorious milestone in the
history of urban design. It
developed into the cultural
centre of the world
The round city of Baghdad in
the 10th century, the peak of
the Abbasid Caliphate.
Illustration: Jean Soutif/Science
Photo Library
The workforce itself was of
a stupendous size. Thousands
of architects and engineers,
legal experts, surveyors and
carpenters, blacksmiths,
diggers and ordinary
labourers were recruited
from across the Abbasid
empire. First they surveyed,
measured and excavated the
foundations. Then, using the
sun-baked and kiln-fired
bricks that had always been
the main building material
on the river-flooded
Mesopotamian plains in the
absence of stone quarries,
they raised the
fortress-like city walls
brick by brick. This was by
far the greatest
construction project in the
Islamic world: Yaqubi
reckoned there were 100,000
workers involved.
A street in Baghdad in 1918
The circular design was
breathtakingly innovative.
“They say that no other
round city is known in all
the regions of the world,”
Khatib noted approvingly.
Four equidistant gates
pierced the outer walls
where straight roads led to
the centre of the city. The
Kufa Gate to the south-west
and the Basra Gate to the
south-east both opened on to
the Sarat canal – a key part
of the network of waterways
that drained the waters of
the Euphrates into the
Tigris and made this site so
attractive. The Sham
(Syrian) Gate to the
north-west led to the main
road on to Anbar, and across
the desert wastes to Syria.
To the north-east the
Khorasan Gate lay close to
the Tigris, leading to the
bridge of boats across it.
As written in
our
previous article, pig
gelatine content in vaccines
is apparently the cause of a
sudden spike in Malaysian
parents refusing to
vaccinate their kids. Pig
gelatine is
used as a stabiliser and
viruses are lab-grown on
animal cells coz they can
only grow in human or animal
cells.
We also mentioned that
Muslim leaders ruled it does
not break religious dietary
laws because it’s injected,
rather than eaten. Plus, we
have our
own fatwa here ruling
that it is ok.
At any rate, Malaysians are
working with Saudi Arabia
to create 3 halal vaccines –
for meningitis, hepatitis
and meningococcal. This news
was reported in 2014, so
approximately the vaccines
will be ready by next year.
MVSLIM's list of Muslim women
who achieved great things in
2015.
3.
Ibtihaj
Muhammad
Who thought Muslim women
would take their turn in
fencing?
Ibtihaj Muhammad, the first
female Muslim American
fencer in the world.
Her achievement seems to
extend beyond her muslim
identity: she is also ranked
as one of the best female
fencers in the world,
reserving her place as an
Olympian in the upcoming
Olympics; “It’s always been
my dream,” Muhammad remarks.
Just this year she has
gathered several awards for
her performance and skill,
and also an award as one of
the top 10 Muslim women of
2015. En garde!
Wazir Khan Mosque,
Pakistan
Also in Pakistan, in the
north-eastern city of
Lahore, is the Wazir Khan
mosque, built in the 17th
century under the reign of
Shahabuddin Muhammad Shah
Jahan. On the "tentative"
list for Unesco World
Heritage Site status since
1993, it is built in cut and
dressed bricks laid in
kankar lime, with some red
sandstone in the gate and
the transept, and is adorned
with fresco paintings and
tiles, with the predominant
colours lajvard (cobalt),
firozi (cerulean blue),
green, orange, yellow, and
purple.
Ijtema in South Africa attracts
40 000 over weekend: Actonville resident
hails ‘miracle’ of Ijtima
BENONI, SOUTH
AFRICA: The annual gathering
of Tableegh in the Gauteng
took place over the past
weekend in Actonville,
Benoni with tens of
thousands turning up for the
electric event. The
proceedings have left a deep
impression on both residents
of the host town – who were
integrally involved in all
the logistics of the event,
as well as visitors who
benefited from the superb
setup and ample
opportunities to strengthen
the brotherhood of faith and
benefit from the discourses
of Deen.
Cii Radio received the
following correspondence
from Max Parshotam, a Hindu
resident of Benoni, sharing
his impressions of the
Ijtima as a visitor and
observer to the event:
A sleepy little
town Actonville east of O.R
International Airport burst at its
seams with unconditional Love. The
suburb was awakened to the melodious
Azan of Ijtima, perfuming our planet
with Peace Prosperity and Patience,
in the midst of global turbulence !
The towering contribution by the
Mohammedan community defines
selflessness, standing at the
leading of light in the midst of
darkness. The sea of humanity was an
awe-inspiring event to witness –
unravelling the consciousness when
the Transcendent descends into man.
The point where the cosmic pulse of
the Universe converges in to the
Human and Supra-Human attributes is
displayed by infinite faculties.
Mass prayer occasions like these
shapes the universe and renders its
harmony and balance.
Prayer must symbolise unity of all
existence the pinnacle of divine
intelligence that is diffused in all
matter.
In the midst of this, I was
fortunate to have met my former
school teacher Mr.Jassat, formerly
of Germiston and by the way I did
not see Mr.Jogee for the Juma Namaz.
My eyes scarcely miss the details
SIR !
Hanif Loonat my colleague formerly
of Actonville flew in from Cape Town
to participate in payer to texture
it’s Soul! While standing with Hanif
I decided to photograph the majestic
moon witnessing the Ijtima. To my
pleasant surprise a blue halo was
captured over the Ijtima.
The presence of
supreme energy that pervades our
universe acknowledging the
celebration of the human spirit.
God’s omnipresence rendering His
blessing and synchronising the mind
body and soul!
In the study of magnetic fields the
colour blue personifies
spirituality, loyalty, wisdom
intelligence, devotional and variety
of others.
I did share this story with Ismail
Guman who was on duty in link road
and a few of the gentleman that were
in attendance.
While having a chat to Moths our
finest plumber in the area, I was
pleasantly surprised by the owner of
Home-made delights of Fordsburg
attendance in prayer.
The energy was electrifying the
monumental organising was to detail.
It was a great event.
May your prayer resonate throughout
our galaxy.
In the words of Mahatma Gandhi –
Service unto man is service onto G-d
it was displayed with opulence and
flawlessly.
Pope Francis washes feet
of refugees for Easter Week
The traditional Easter Week
foot-washing ceremony by the
pontiff is meant as a Catholic
gesture of service.
ROME: Pope
Francis has visited a
refugee centre to wash and
kiss the feet of Muslim,
Orthodox, Hindu and Catholic
refugees — a gesture of
welcome at a time when
anti-Muslim and
anti-immigrant sentiment has
risen after the Brussels and
Paris attacks.
Francis celebrated the
traditional Easter Week
foot-washing ceremony at a
refugee shelter in
Castelnuovo di Porto,
outside Rome, inaugurating
the most solemn period of
the Catholic Church's Easter
season.
The Holy Thursday rite
re-enacts the foot-washing
ritual Jesus performed on
his apostles before being
crucified, and is meant as a
gesture of service.
The Vatican said on Thursday
that four women and eight
men had been selected. The
women include an Italian who
works at the centre and
three Eritrean Coptic
Christian migrants. The men
include four Catholics from
Nigeria, three Muslims from
Mali, Syria and Pakistan,
and a Hindu from India.
SOUTH AFRICA:
After an absence of almost
two decades, poultry from
the United States of America
is now available in South
Africa, following the
agreement reached which
allows for 65 000 tons to be
imported.
In 2000, prohibitive
anti-dumping duties were
imposed on imports of
chicken and thereby closing
the door on our market to US
products. Last year,
however, the administration
of President Barack Obama
threatened to withhold
benefits to South Africa
under the Africa Growth and
Opportunity Agreement (AGOA)
if South Africa did not
reopen its market to US
chicken, beef and pork. The
Obama Administration set a
deadline of 15th March for
South Africa to fully comply
with the agreement on
imports of poultry and other
meats.
The USA is amongst the
largest producers of poultry
in the world and recover
profits on the popular cuts
of chicken sold in the
domestic market, paving the
way for the cheaper cuts
such as head and feet to be
dumped outside the USA at
prices that cannot be
matched by local producers.
The most serious
ramifications in the scheme
is the Halaal status of the
product as poultry produced
in the USA is almost without
exception
machine-slaughtered, which
method is also prevalent in
most developed countries of
Europe and South America.
SANHA categorically rejects
machine-slaughter as it
cannot meet the following
conditions:
1.The act of
slaughter must be rendered
physically by a Muslim person.
2.The Tasmiyah (incantation) must be
mentioned over every bird during
slaughter.
3.The required vessels viz trachea,
oesophagus, the jugular veins and
carotid arteries must be severed.
Machine slaughter devoid
of human conscience cannot be relied
upon to fulfil these requirements.
French Jew goes to
synagogue dressed as jihadist ‘to lighten
mood’
FRANCE: A 40-year-old
French Jew has visited his synagogue
dressed as a jihadist, brandishing a
fake Kalashnikov and shouting “Allahu
Akbar.” The man said he had done it “to
lighten the mood.”
The incident happened on Thursday
evening when members of the Habad
Loubavitch synagogue in eastern Paris
were celebrating the festival of Purim.
At the event, worshippers often dress up
in various costumes.
The ‘attack’ came as a surprise for the
soldiers guarding the entrance to the
synagogue, but “created a certain
emotion” among them, police sources told
the Local.
Members of the synagogue were shocked
until they understood they actually knew
the ‘jihadist.’
However, the man was ordered to present
himself at the local police station on
Friday.
After the visit, his told Le Parisien
newspaper that he had “wanted to lighten
the mood.”
“I think I made a big mistake,” he
added.
The Habad Loubavitch synagogue is
located in the eastern Paris suburb of
Vincennes, where gunmen shot four Jews
last year.
It’s not the first controversy over the
last few months linked with the French
Jewish population and the jihadist
threat: in February, 45-year-old Jewish
teacher Tzion Saadon from Marseille was
detained after claiming he had been
beaten up by jihadists.
He now faces a trial and possible prison
sentence, as security forces believe he
may have fabricated the story.
In December, another 45-year-old
teacher, Stephane Aroule, triggered a
terrorist alert by falsely stating that
a man in a balaclava had entered the
Jean-Perrin nursery school in the Paris
suburb of Aubervilliers.
Junaid Jamshed lodges
complaint after violent assault at Islamabad
Airport
PAKISTAN: A
charged crowd at the Benazir
Bhutto International Airport
assaulted singer-turned-Da’ee
Junaid Jamshed, it emerged
late Saturday night. A
disturbing video of the
attack made the rounds on
social media.
A handful of people chanted
slogans against the
preacher, claiming he had
committed blasphemy, and
lunged at him. They struck
several blows and then
momentarily released Jamshed,
only to attack him again.
“We have been looking for
you,” one male voice is
heard saying in the footage.
“Hit him, him him,” they
shouted.
A person can also be heard
saying “Shabash [Well done]”
in the latter part of video.
Another voice says “Kya Aap
Berdasht Karain Gay Koi Aap
Ki Maa Kou Gaali Day? [Will
you tolerate if anyone
abused your mother?],” while
Junaid Jamshed can be seen
along with security
personnel in this part of
video.
The former vocalist of the
band Vital Signs received
kicks and blows by a small
group of men just as he was
leaving the airport.
Visibly shaken, Jamshed
maintained silence for the
most part and offered the
crowd to “talk” as the men
confronted him. Jamshed then
retreated into the airport’s
arrival lounge.
Many took to social media to
condemn the attack on
Jamshed.
Hassan Khan stated: “Junaid
Jamshed, you’re not alone.
Whole tolerant civil society
which are in masses stand
and support you. Intolerance
is a menace [sic].”
Anila Qazi said: “Junaid
Jamshed, this should not be
happening in Pakistan. These
illiterates are ruining
Pakistan’s image. This issue
is getting serious.”
Following the attack,
Jamshed took to his Twitter
account to say: “I wish I
wasn’t travelling alone. A
little distressed with what
happened.”
He continued that he could
not even wish ill will on
his Muslim brothers, adding:
“It’s about time we as a
nation decide that we will
not let these religious
fanatics prevail amongst us.
They will be exposed and
brought to task.”
According to airport police,
Jamshed has filed an
application to lodge an FIR
against the unidentified
men. Jamshed said he was
attacked by a group of seven
to eight people whom he
could identify.
According to his statement,
“Seven to eight men attacked
me at the airport. I don’t
know them personally but I
can identify if they come in
front of me. Police and
airport security protected
me and took me home.”
Federal Information Minister
Pervaiz Rashid has condemned
the incident.
The episode comes over a
year after a controversy
that pushed Jamshed into
hiding, as he became the
target of the wrath of
right-wing groups over
blasphemy allegations. He
later offered a public
apology in which he said he
was “accepting his mistake”
and asked for forgiveness.
The blasphemy case against
him was registered in
December 2014 on the
directives of a district and
sessions court. Jamshed was
booked over one of his
televised sermons that was
misunderstood to contain
blasphemous remarks about
Sayyidatina Aishah RA, wife
of Prophet Muhammad (Peace
Be Upon Him).
The case had been registered
on a complaint of Mobin
Qadri, a leader of the Sunni
Tehreek, at the Risala
police station under
Sections 295-C (use of
derogatory remarks in
respect of the Holy Prophet)
and 298-A (use of derogatory
remarks etc in respect of
Holy Personage) of the
Pakistan Penal Code, police
said at the time.
Qadri had moved an
application in the court
seeking registration of a
blasphemy case against
Jamshed for
allegedly making blasphemous
remarks about the Holy
Prophet and his wife Hazrat
Ayesha (RA).
Jamshed later released a
video message in which he
apologised for his remarks
and asked for forgiveness.
Over the years, Jamshed has
gathered a massive following
as a Da’ee, also earning a
spot in popular prime time
shows during the month of
Ramadan.
He has also launched a line
of clothing by the name
‘J.’, a brand that takes
pride in selling what it
calls modest women’s
clothing and without using
models for advertisement.
Pakistani media have listed
the names of several
suspects allegedly behind
the assault on Jamshed.
Lionel Messi sparks
outrage in Egypt after donating boots on
television for charity auction
Lionel
Messi's boots would no doubt
fetch a high price at auction.
EGYPT: A
charitable gesture by
football star Lionel Messi
has provoked outrage in
Egypt, where a lawmaker and
football official took
umbrage at the Argentine
donating his football boots.
Messi, in an interview with
the private satellite
channel MBC Misr, had
donated his boots to the
channel to auction them off
for charity.
"Messi, I really thank you,"
the interviewer said as she
sat across from the
Barcelona player, dangling
his boots, in the segment
aired on the weekend.
While no one would consider
being hit with a shoe or
boot, or being labelled a
shoe a compliment, it is
especially insulting in
Middle Eastern cultures.
Donating boots, it emerged,
was equally insulting to
Egyptian member of
parliament Said Hasasein,
who attacked Messi on his
television show.
"This is my shoe. I donate
it to Argentina," he said,
holding up a beaten loafer.
"This is an insult to
Egyptian people," he added,
thumping his fist on his
desk.
Egyptian Football Federation
spokesman Azmi Mogahed
phoned in to the show to
express his outrage.
"Even in our religion ..."
he began to say, when
Hasasein interrupted: "His
religion is Jewish!"
Mogahed replied: "I know
he's Jewish, he donates to
Israel and visited the
Wailing Wall and whatever
... we don't need his shoe
and Egypt's poor don't need
help from someone with
Jewish or Zionist
citizenship."
French minister shocks
with Muslim veil-slavery comment
Outrage as women's rights
minister says those wearing
Muslim headdress are like
"Negroes" who accepted slavery.
Rossignol told French media she
thinks those who make Islamic
clothing for women are
'irresponsible'
FRANCE:
France's minister for
women's rights has compared
Muslim women who wear the
veil to American "Negroes"
who accepted slavery, in an
interview with French media.
Laurence Rossignol made the
comments to RMC radio and
BFM TV, igniting accusations
of racism on Wednesday
across social media as a
petition was launched
calling on the minister to
resign.
In just a few hours, the
petition gathered more than
10,000 signatures.
Rossignol was a guest on a
programme to discuss the
Islamic fashion industry.
She later said the use of
the word Negro had been made
in error, but stopped short
of retracting the remark.
Many on social media pointed
out that Rossignol
previously founded an
anti-racist coalition, SOS
Racisme.
France has the largest
Muslim minority in Europe
and some of the continent's
most restrictive laws about
expressions of faith in
public. The veil was banned
in 2011.
Elsewhere in the interview,
the minister reportedly
criticised those who made
fashion items such as the
so-called burqini, a modest
swimsuit covering the head,
arms and legs, as
"irresponsible".
Today, according to the
2015-2016 State of the
Global Islamic Economy
Report, Muslim consumers
spend an estimated $230bn on
clothing, a number that is
projected to grow to $327bn
by 2019 - larger than the
current combined clothing
markets of the UK ($107bn),
Germany ($99bn), and India
($96bn).
Earlier this year, the
Italian fashion house Dolce
& Gabbana unveiled a new
abaya and hijab collection
aimed at Muslim women.
Here are some reactions to
Rossignol's observations:
Q: Dear
Kareema, I have the all clear from my GP to get
back into an exercise routine. I need to start
easy as I’m recovering from a few injuries. Can
you help?
A: Walking is a good way to start. Try 20
mins twice a week and build from there.
Cycling is another
activity you can incorporate when you feel
comfortable. It will increase blood flow to
lower back and hips, etc. without putting stress
on the joints.
Try a few exercise
sessions in the pool as well. It will improve
flexibility and the water will support your
weight.
Yoga will be a good
choice too as it focuses on correct posture
which in turn will improve muscle strength.
Like any mother you
want your child to grow up
unburdened by the woes of your
generation. Since 9/11, Muslim
women have been asked to explain
events over which they have no
control, says author Shakira
Hussein, who has dedicated her
book to her daughter in the hope
that it will help to lighten the
burden of explanation as she
grows up.
Dear Adalya,
I’ve dedicated my book
Muslim women since 9/11 to
you not just for the usual
reasons that a parent might
dedicate a book to their
offspring, but because the
topic of this particular
book has overshadowed almost
your entire life. And with
US President Barack Obama
describing the current
conflict with the so-called
Islamic State as a
“generational struggle”,
it’s a topic that seems
destined to dominate all our
lives for a long time to
come.
You were only five years old
on September 11, 2001. Even
though our apartment in
Canberra was about as far
from New York and Washington
as it is possible to get,
when I saw the news on the
television late at night, I
went through to your bedroom
to make sure that you were
still safely asleep. Amid
all the uncertainly about
the future, it was
immediately clear that
Muslims living in Australia
and around the world would
feel the consequences of al
Qaeda’s crimes.
A couple of weeks later, I
left you with your
grandmother in Queensland
while I travelled to
Pakistan to try to work out
how any of us were going to
manage life in the strange
new post-9/11 world. Friends
in Pakistan were horrified
that I had left you in
Australia. They had heard
reports about Muslim women
in the West having their
headscarves torn from their
heads and about the
firebombing of a mosque in
Brisbane. It isn’t safe for
Muslims to live in the West
anymore, they told me. Bring
your daughter back here –
we’ll find you a job in a
posh girl’s school. A
Pakistani journalist
suggested that we could move
to Abbottabad, the town
where he had grown up. It
was a popular holiday
destination, a beautiful
location with good schools.
And it was a military town,
so it was very safe.
But Pakistan has been a
frontline state in the war
on terror and Abbottabad
eventually turned out to be
the hiding place of Osama
bin Laden. Although we
visited Pakistan together in
2004, we’ve spent the post
9/11 years as Muslims living
in Australia.
Back when we lived in
Canberra, we enjoyed many
happy trips to the South
Coast with a group of
friends from the Canberra
Islamic Centre. We were a
diverse little tribe who had
been born in locations
ranging from Morocco to
Indonesia to Australia. Some
of the women wore hijab and
some did not - Adalya and I
do not wear headscarves in
our day-to-day lives - but
all of us enjoy a trip to
the beach. And all of us
were shocked by the footage
of the riots at Cronulla
beach in the summer of 2005
in which Muslim women and
girls were attacked and
abused alongside their
menfolk.
After Cronulla, Muslims
stepped up our efforts at
reconciliation and
bridge-building, with women
playing a key role. Muslim
women pitched in for the
catering at interfaith
dialogue events, gave
interviews to media outlets,
organised fashion shows in
an attempt to answer
people’s question about
Muslim women’s dress codes.
Many of us campaigned on
multiple fronts – against
the mandatory detention of
asylum-seekers who arrived
by boat, against the
introduction of ever-more
stringent anti-terrorism
laws, against the apparently
endless wars in Afghanistan
and Iraq.
And after each new terrorist
attack, each new crime
committed by one of our
co-religionists, we
explained. We explained that
most Muslims were horrified
by such events, we explained
that Islam is a religion of
peace, we explained how
Muslim women (particularly
those whose faith is made
visible by their
headscarves) were coping
with the impact of
discrimination and
harassment, we explained and
explained and explained. We
explained to politicians and
policy-makers and
journalists and we explained
to total strangers on public
transport who noticed a
signifier of our religious
identity and asked us to
explain the role of Islam in
everything from
international politics to
the application to build a
new mosque in the
neighbouring suburb.
Women in all communities are
conscripted into the role of
peacemakers and healers.
It’s a role that many
willingly undertake, but
after nearly a decade and a
half, even the most tireless
among us are growing weary
of explaining crimes which
we did not commit and events
over which we have no
control. And such
explanations have become an
expectation. If we don’t
explain, we are asked to
explain why we’ve refused to
do so.
You have grown up listening
to this low hum of
explanations and you’ve also
done your fair share of
explaining. I hope that my
book may help to lighten
this burden of explanation –
if only by explaining why we
ought not to be expected to
explain.
Using the book club you
can see what books fellow CCN readers have on their
shelves, what they are reading and even what they,
and others, think of them.
KB says:
When it comes to salted caramel cupcakes, there
is certainly no shortage of variations. It's
particularly delicious when used in combination
with a contrasting flavour and texture. That’s
what makes it such an incredible pairing with
brownies, ice cream, and hot chocolate.
Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcakes
70g unsalted butter
170g plain flour
250 g caster sugar
50 g cocoa powder, sifted
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
210 ml whole milk
2 large eggs
Topping
670 g icing sugar, sifted
210 g unsalted butter, softened
70 ml whole milk
30 g tinned caramel
Pinch of good-quality sea salt
Caramel Mixture
100 g tinned caramel
Pinch of good-quality sea salt
Mix the butter,
flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder
and salt together until they form a
crumb-like consistency.
In a separate
bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs.
Gradually pour half of the liquid into the
crumb mixture and mix thoroughly until
combined.
Raise the speed to medium and beat until the
batter is smooth and thick, with no lumps.
Pour in the
remaining liquid mixture and continue mixing
till the batter is smooth.
Spoon into cases
and bake for 20-25 mins
Meanwhile to
create the topping, mix the icing sugar and
butter until crumbly with no lumps, add in
the milk and mix it in gradually followed by
the caramel and sea salt
Once the
cupcakes have cooled mix some of the caramel
and sea salt until runny and smooth.
Cut out small
holes at the top of the cakes and pour some
of the caramel mixture in
Ice as desired,
I drizzled caramel and caramel chocolate but
pretzels are a good idea too
Three men, a Saudi, a Qatari and a Turk went hiking in the
Andes in the middle of summer, about 45 degrees and sweating
like horses.
They get to the top of a mountain and look down.
There's this most beautiful pristine lagoon. They go
scrambling down the edge of the mountain, get their clothes
off and dive straight in.
The natives come and grab them and take them to their Chief.
He says "You have broken our most sacred law, this is our
most sacred sight, for this you die. When we kill you we
take off your skin, out of skin we make canoes!. Permanent
reminder all people never touch our sacred sight."
They
tie the three up.
The Chief says "Before you die you get one last wish. What
is your last wish?".
The Saudi says "I'm not going to die at the hands of you
scavengers, wada'an!". And he promptly stabs himself to
death with the knife he has been given.
The Qatari says "Like my friend, I would also like a knife,
I'm too not going to die to the hands of you scavengers,
assalaamuilaikum". And he too immediately stabs himself to
death with the knife he has been given.
Then the Chief says to the Turk, Mula Nasruddin: "Then what
is your last wish?".
Mula Nasruddin says "I want a fork".
So they bring him a fork and he stabs himself multiple times
around the body: "Well there goes your blasted canoe!".
Laylat al-Qadr
- Night of Power 1436 (27th Ramadan 1437)
6
July
Wednesday
Eid al-Fitr
1437 (1st Shawwal 1437)
9
July
Saturday
ICQ Eid Festival
Islamic Council
of QLD (ICQ)
TBA
TBA
TBA
20
& 21 August
Sat & Sun
The Divine Light
Sh Wasim Kempson
Al Kauthar
Brisbane
Griffith
University NATHAN
0438 698 328
All day
12
September
Monday
Eid al-Adha
1437 (10th Zilhijja 1437)
3 October
Monday
1st Muharram
1438 – Islamic New Year 1438
12 October
Wednesday
Day of Ashura
12 December
Monday
Birth of the
Prophet (pbuh) / Milad un Nabi
PLEASE NOTE
1. All Islamic Event dates given above are tentative and
subject to the sighting of the moon.
2. The Islamic date changes to the next day starting in
the evenings after maghrib. Therefore, exceptfor Lailatul
Mehraj,
Lailatul Bhahraat
and
Lailatul Qadr – these dates refer to the commencement of the event
starting in the evening of the corresponding day.
• Zikr - every Thursday
7pm, families welcome
• Hifz, Quran Reading & Madressa - Wednesday & Friday
4:30 - 6:30pm, brothers, sisters and children
• New Muslims Program - last Thursday of every month,
6:30 - 8:30pm
• Salawat Majlis - first Saturday of every month.
Starting at Mughrib, families welcome
• Islamic Studies - one year course, Saturday 10:00 -
2:00 pm, brothers and sisters
• Ilm-e-Deen, Alims Degree Course - Three full-time and
part-time nationally accredited courses, brothers
Quran Reading Class For Ladies (Beginners
or Advanced)
Every Saturday 2 - 4pm
Lady Teacher
Algester Mosque
Zikrullah program every Thursday night after
Esha
For more details, contact: Maulana Nawaaz:
0401576084
On Going Activities
1. Daily Hadeeth reading From Riyadusaliheen,
After Fajar and after esha .
2. After school Madrassah for children Mon-Thu 5pm to 7pm
3. Adult Quran classes (Males) Monday and
Tuesday after esha for an hour.
4. Community engagement program every second Saturday of the
Month, interstate and overseas speakers, starts after
margib, Dinner served after esha, First program begins on
the 15 August.
5. Monthly Qiyamulail program every 1st
Friday of the month starts after esha.
6. Fortnight Sunday Breakfast program. After Fajar, short
Tafseer followed by breakfast.
7. Weekly Tafseer by Imam Uzair after esha followed by
dinner. Starts from 26 August.
For all activities, besides Adult Quran,
classes sisters and children are welcome.
For further info call the Secretary on
0413669987
Click on images to enlarge
IPDC
Lutwyche Mosque
Weekly classes with Imam Yahya
Monday: Junior Class
Tuesday: Junior Arabic
Friday: Adult Quran Class
For more information call 0470 671 109
Holland Park Mosque
Queensland Police Service/Muslim Community
Consultative Group
Next Meeting
Time: 7.00pm Date: TBA Venue: Islamic College of Brisbane - 45 Acacia Road
Karawatha
Please send any topics you wish to be added to the agenda to
be discussed on the night.
Articles and
opinions appearing in this newsletter do not necessarily
reflect the opinions of the Crescents of Brisbane Team, CCN,
its Editor or its Sponsors, particularly if they eventually
turn out to be libellous, unfounded, objectionable,
obnoxious, offensive, slanderous and/or downright
distasteful.
It is the usual policy of CCN to
include from time to time, notices of events that some
readers may find interesting or relevant. Such notices are
often posted as received. Including such messages or
providing the details of such events does not necessarily
imply endorsement of the contents of these events by either
CCN or Crescents of Brisbane Inc.
The best ideas
and the best feedback come from our community of readers. If you
have a topic or opinion that you want to write about or want
seen covered or any news item that you think might be of benefit
to the Crescents Community please e-mail
ccn@crescentsofbrisbane.org.
Share your
thoughts, feelings and ambitions for our community through CCN.
If there is
someone you know who would like to subscribe to CCN please
encourage them to enter their details
here.
Jasser
Auda is a Professor and Al-Shatibi
Chair of Maqasid Studies at
the International Peace
College South Africa, the
Executive Director of the
Maqasid Institute, a global
think tank based in London,
and a Visiting Professor of
Islamic Law at Carleton
University in Canada. He is
a Founding and Board Member
of the International Union
of Muslim Scholars, Member
of the European Council for
Fatwa and Research, Fellow
of the Islamic Fiqh Academy
of India, and General
Secretary of Yaqazat Feker,
a popular youth organization
in Egypt. He has a PhD in
the philosophy of Islamic
law from University of Wales
in the UK, and a PhD in
systems analysis from
University of Waterloo in
Canada. Early in his life,
he memorized the Quran and
studied Fiqh, Usul and
Hadith in the halaqas of Al-Azhar
Mosque in Cairo. He
previously worked as:
Founding Director of the
Maqasid Center in the
Philosophy of Islamic Law in
London; Founding Deputy
Director of the Center for
Islamic Ethics in Doha;
professor at the University
of Waterloo in Canada,
Alexandria University in
Egypt, Islamic University of
Novi Pazar in Sanjaq, Qatar
Faculty of Islamic Studies,
and the American University
of Sharjah. He lectured and
trained on Islam, its law,
spirituality and ethics in
dozens of other universities
and organizations around the
world. He wrote 25 books in
Arabic and English, some of
which were translated to 25
languages.
Ijtema in South Africa attracts
40 000 over weekend: Actonville resident
hails ‘miracle’ of Ijtima
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011